I've known several people who were very excited to start gardening, only to give up on it before making it through their first summer. Gardening requires a commitment. Your garden won't wait until you have time to take care of it and even weekend warriors can be easily defeated. Most of us know this only too well. But whether you are an experienced gardener or a newbie, you may be hitting the wall about now. So this week I'm going to talk about what you can do in 15 minutes a day.
First, it's hot this summer. You may have noticed that yourself. Your plants surely have. They'll need more than the prescribed 1 inch per week. For today's 15 minutes, water your containers. Here are 7 tips for watering containers and keeping them - and you - from stressing. I'll add one more. If you are in drought conditions with water restrictions, you will have to get creative. Use left over cooking water, dehumidifier buckets, even left over coffee to water plants. If you've got some tips for watering during heat or drought, please, please share.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
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From a lifetime (started gardening at 4, not my idea, now 58) of experience in both containers and other gardening:
Water in the evening (or while plants are in the shade) so it’ll soak in. In the morning (or while it is sunny out), the water is more likely to evaporate from the heat.
Mulch over the soil to keep the moisture there.
Water the ground, not the leaves. (It’s the roots that need the moisture.)
Also, watch out, water on the leaves while it is sunny can form little heat condensing lenses that can actually burn the leaves.
A drip system is sometimes effective because that puts the water right where you need it instead of in the air like a sprinkler or sprayer. However, sometimes a watering pot is more effective, especially if your plants are in pots and they’re spread out.
Putting pots of plants close together so that they can share a general level of “air moisture” and help shade each other and each others soil, helps somewhat.
Hope that helps!
I have heard the “don’t water when it’s sunny because the water will form little lenses and burn the foliage” statement but have trouble with it. I used to live and work in the Bahamas and mid-day watering there never created those problems. Maybe it would happen closer to the equator with more intense sunlight but, even there, I doubt it. The biggest problem I have seen with water burning foliage in mid-day is when the water that was sitting in the hose (in the sun) has gotten hot and the waterer has not allowed that hot water to be pushed out of the hose before it gets on the plants.
Yes, when to water is an ongoing debate. My favorite answer is to do it whenever you can. Better to water at a bad time, than not to water at all. But whether it’s in the morning or the night before, it really does help the plants handle afternoon sun if they’re well hydrated.
dh, it will only burn the foliage if it sits there for long periods of time, like on a bright, windless day, which isn’t often. As long as it evaporates quickly, it shouldn’t be a problem.
On the other hand, I have forgotten to run the water through a hot hose and you are so right, it can get hot enough to burn you.
Since I have been a kid, i have seen my mother save leftover water from whatever source she can think of (water from the washing machine, dishwasher, even from the hot water bag she used to cure her backache) and pour it into the plants in our terrace.
Since then, I have made it a point to religiously follow her.
I never used to think about the water I was tossing away, but once you do, it’s amazing how much of it there is. My plants probably have as much coffee as I do. Good thing I drink it black.
Glad to see others are saving water like I am. I also have installed 2 rain barrels at our house in San Diego. They are awesome. When I need to wash strorage containers, I do so on the lawn to give it a soaking, too. We had a heat pump installed in our master bathroom so now we don’t have to run the water for 5-10 minutes in the shower in order for it to warm up enough. So many ways to save the water!
I save gallon juice jugs to catch the water I run to get the water hot for showers or washing dishes.The juice jugs have handy handles on them to carry around to the plants and hold while tilting the jug to water.
my dad always said to use the dishwater. he said soap was good for the plants because it would kill the bugs, and the food scraps fed the plants. i dont think i would use dishwasher water because its got bleach in it, its very harsh.
During periods of drought or if you’ll be away for a day or two, take down your hanging baskets and put them on the ground, so they can retain water longer. Also take pots off plant stands, so the water stays near the roots longer.
These are all great suggestions. Thanks. I guess something good came from this year’s drought after all.
A lot of these are great suggestions. The one about jugs of water in the shower is a wonderful idea! I also take weekly baths in my garden tub but use dead sea salt to soak. Would that water be ok to use too?
Salt builds up in the soil and can burn plants. I don’t think it would be wise to use it in the garden.